While most of the wooden hull has long since disintegrated from the shipwreck, copper that sheathed the hull beneath the waterline as a protection against marine-boring organisms remains, leaving a copper shell that retains the form of the ship.
Copper Shell
Image courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research. Download larger version (jpg, 1.3 MB).

While most of the wooden hull has long since disintegrated from the shipwreck, copper that sheathed the hull beneath the waterline as a protection against marine-boring organisms remains, leaving a copper shell that retains the form of the ship. The copper has turned green due to oxidation and chemical processes over more than a century on the seafloor. Oxidized copper sheathing and portions of the draft marks are visible on the bow of the ship. The grey strip covering the stem is lead.

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